The high-tech classroom looks conventional, but detailed recordings and observations of classes will allow researchers and teachers to improve classroom practice and gain insights into the process of learning.

The classroom, at the University of Melbourne, is part of a $16 million investment into the Science of Learning Research Centre, which comprises 25 investigators from nine research institutions across Australia.

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Julie James Bailey :

28 Dec 2015 7:44:52am

Science of Learning Research Centre 12 September

I want to thank you for bringing this great research facility to my attention. In retirement I volunteer in remote Aboriginal communities. I heard it on a podcast. Recently i was able to get to Melbourne and visit the centre.

As someone who has been involved in using television in education for over 50 years I found this centre a most exciting research tool.

For the last few years I have been monitoring School of the Air in the Northern Territory as a possible means of delivery to remote Aboriginal classrooms. However, Indigenous learning is very different particularly when the students cannot speak English. This centre offers enormous potential for comparative research between mainstream learning and Aboriginal learning.

Few people realise that in the Northern Territory over 6000 Indigenous primary school children come from families who do not speak English. Remote Indigenous learning is unique in that the students do not speak English in the playground or in the community. There are no dedicated EAL/D (English as Additional Language or Dialect) teachers.

As a result of the appalling NT NAPLAN results the Education Department is investing over $180 million in Indigenous education. Among other things they are rolling out Direct Instruction. The Science of Learning classroom would be a great research tool to compare Indigenous learning with mainstream learning.; DI with traditional methods; DI with EAL/D specialist teaching. As your broadcast referred to a mobile version that can be taken into the schools geography should not be a problem.

Thank you for bringing this terrific research resource to the attention of the general public. Alas, from the lack of posts it seems that few educators have been listening.